UKRAINIAN TELETHON «UNITED NEWS» DURING A FULL-SCALE RUSSIAN INVASION: PROPAGANDA, PR OR NECESSITY?

Abstract

This article examines a unique communication tool of the Ukrainian authorities for informing a wide audience in wartime conditions, namely the telethon «United News». At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the decision to combine the broadcasts of the leading Ukrainian TV channels contributed to the consolidation of the forces of the authorities in informing the population and providing Ukrainians with reliable information about the war’s progress. It caused a high level of trust in the telethon. However, in the third year of the full-scale Russian invasion, the quality of the content in the telethon and the actions of certain representatives of the authorities, the large expenses from the country’s budget for creating this telethon, as a result, began to worry citizens. Their level of trust in information broadcasting began to fall. The article analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the telethon «United News» and outlines possible options for solving problematic issues surrounding this communication product.
In particular, the author notes that the broadcast of information verified by the authorities, access to the creation of the content of «United News» by a limited circle of media and journalists, and the lack of criticism of the authorities indicate a high probability of the spread of propaganda content in the broadcast of the Ukrainian national telethon.

These problems require further resolution. Among the steps to eliminate the above may be creating a document that regulates the decision-making procedure and assumes responsibility for all participants in producing «United News». Also, an important step will be to increase the quota for the production of Suspilne and its TV channel content.